Galvanizing apparatus



Au 21, 1934. N1 L, HUNKER H M 1,971,221

GALVANIZING APPARATUS Filed June 25. 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 1 ML. Hunli'er JMMiller ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1934. HUNKER r AL 1,971,221

GALVANI Z ING APPARATUS Filed June 23. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 144 INVENTORS l5 5' 14 MbHmz/ier A TTORNEY-S' Patented Aug. 21, 1934 mush VGALVANIZING APPARATUS Martin L. Hunker and John M. Miller, Dover, Ghio, assignorsto The Reeves Manufacturing Company, Dover, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 23, 1931, Serial No. 546,272

14 Claims. (01. 91-1215) ..The invention relates to the coating of pails, buckets and other articles with zinc, tin or other coating materials.

Such metal coated articles are, under present 4 practice, either formed from sheets which have been previously galvanized or tinned, or the articles are formed of black sheets and then the finished article is dipped in the molten zinc, tin or other metal for coating the same. The better grades of such articles are first formed of the black sheets and then dipped into the molten zinc-or tin to form the coating thereon.

It is customary to dip these articles into the molten metal by' hand although very recently machines have been developed and put into practice for automatically dipping the pails, buckets or other articles into the molten bath of zinc,- tin or the like. Machines such as disclosed in Carroll Patent No. 1,787,141 of December 30, 1930 i are now operating successfully for coating pails, buckets, tubs and the like, producinga better coating than the old hand dipping process, with considerably less labor and at a much reduced cost. However, machines of this typeare rather expensive to construct and install and occupy considerable floorspace. t The object of .the present improvement is to provide an apparatus forcoating pails, buckets, tubs and the like which can be constructed and installed for only a small fraction of the cost of the apparatus nowin use for this purpose; and which will occupy no more floor space than the ordinary galvanizing or tirlning tank now generally used for the hand dippingof such articles.

Another object of the'improvement is to provide an openworkuor perforate'chute extending into the molten-coating metal tank, the pails or other articles to'be coated being passed .down through said chute and through the coating metal in the tank. 1 I 3 A further objectis to provide :a flux box sur-. rounding said chute whereby the articles to be coated pass through'the flux and then through the molten coating metal; I 1

A still further. object of the improvement is to provide means whereby the weight ofithe articles in the entrance'end of the chute will force the articles out of the discharge end of the chute and above the molten metal level in the tank.

Still another object is to provide means for rotating the pails or other articles as they pass through the chute inorderthat all portions of the articles may be uniformly coated. 1 a A stillfurther object of the improvementisto provide means forskimming the: surface of the molten metal above the discharge end of the chute.

The-above and other objects which will be later explained or which will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detail description may be attained by providing an openwork or lattice chute,'the charging end portion of which is preferably straight and located at an angle to the vertical and extended into the coating metal tank, the discharge end portion of the chute being preferably arcuate and terminating at a point adjacent to the surface of the molten metal.

In order to rotate the pails, or other articles to be coated, as they pass through the molten metaL-a spaced pair of bars may be provided upon one side of the chute and curved to conform to the curvature of the chute, the ears of the pail being adapted to. be received between said spaced bars whereby the pails are guided through the chute and rotated as they pass through the coating metal.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the openwork chute to which the invention pertains showing the same positioned through the flux box and molten metaltank; Fig. 2, a section on the line 22, Fig. 1;.

Fig. 3, a section on the line 33, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, an end View of the chute.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

A conventional type of galvanizing or tinning tank or pot, such as ordinarily used for dipping articles is indicated generally at 10 and a flux box 11 with an open bottom, such as used in ordinary practice, is located at the liquid metal level 12 of the galvanizing pot or tank.

The improved apparatus to which the invention pertains comprises a perforate or openwork chute orguide indicated generally at 13. This chute may be of lattice construction, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, comprising the longitudinal bars or rods 14 and the transverse bands 15, said rods and bands being spacedapart so as to permit the molten coating metal to freely pass through the chute and have access to all parts of the articles which are passed through the chute for coating. i r g r This chute or guide frame may be supported within the tank and through the flux box by any suitable means (not shown) and is preferably of the shape best shown in Fig. 1, the charging end portion of the same being preferably straight and located at an angle to the vertical while the discharge end portion is arcuate and terminates adjacent to the surface level 12 of the liquid coating metal.

Upon one side of the frame the bands 15 are cut out and offset as at 15a and the adjacent longitudinal bars 14a are spaced apart and located at said cut-out portion of the bands. This provides a guideway to receive and en age the ears or projections 16 of the pails 1'? to be coated and causes the pails to be rotated a full half turn as they pass through the chute. This rotation of the pails is clearly shown in Fig. l-wherein it is shown that the lower side of each pail at the charging end of the chute emerges first from the discharge end thereof. This provides for a uniform coating of zinc or tin upon all parts of each pail as every part of the pail thus remains in the coating material for the same length of tirne.

For the purpose of permitting the flux to wash out of the pails without being trapped in the upper portions thereof, the charging end portion of the openworlr chute or guide frame is bent backward from a point below the liquid metal surface, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in order that the pails may pass through the flux in a tilted position, as shown in said figures.

The upper side of each pail is thus tilted baclrward at an angle so that the flux may be flushed out of the same as the pail descends into the molten metal, thus preventing spots or stains caused by the flux adhering to theinner surface of the pail.

A skimmer of any usual or desirable type, as indicated generally at 18, may be provided for skimming oxide and foreign matter from the surface of the molten metal adjacent to the discharge end of the chute or guide frame. This skimmer may be operated by any suitable means, either automatic or manual, for skimming the surface of the metal before each pail emerges from the chute.

' In the operation of the apparatus, the pails are charged into the upper or charging end of the chute and passed downward therethrough by gravity, the ears 16 of the pails being located between the'spaced guide bars 14a so that each pail rotates as it passes through the molten'metal in order to provide a uniform coating upon all per-- tions of the pail. The weight of the pails being charged at the charging end of the chute is all that is necessary to force the pails upward out of the discharge end thereof.

The pails may be charged into the chute and removed therefrom either manually or by'any suitable and desirable mechanical means without in any Way changing the construction or. operation of the openwork or perforate chute or guide frame which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

It will be seen that the apparatus to which the invention pertains occupies no more floor space than is require'd for the galvanizing or'tinning tank or pot such as ordinarily used for hand dipping of the articles; that it produces a more uniform and perfect coating than can be obtained by hand dipping; and that the apparatus, while being as efficient as the above mentioned apparatus now being used for this purpose, may be constructed and installed at considerably less cost. i

We claim:

1. Apparatus for coating metal articles having projections thereon including a'tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, the projections on the articles cooperatively engaging the guide frame for rotating the articles a predetermined amount as they are passed through said guide frame.

2. Apparatus for coating metal articles having projections thereon including a tank of coating material, a perforate-guide frame extending into the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, the

discharge end of said guide frame being directed upward, the projections on the articles cooperatively engaging the guide frame for rotating the articles a predetermined amount as they are passed through said guide frame.

3. Apparatus for coating metal articles having projections thereon including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethroughfor coating said articles, the charging end of the frame being located above the coating material and the discharge end of the frame being directed upward and terminating adjacent to the surface of the coating material whereby the articles will be passed through the frame and discharged therefrom by gravity, the projections on the articles cooperatively engaging the guide frame for rotating the articles a predetermined amount as they are passed through said guide frame.

- 4. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the'guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, and spaced guide bars for engaging said projections for rotating the articles as they are passed through said guide frame.

5. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, the discharge end of said guide frame being directed upward, and spaced guide bars for engaging said projections for rotating the articles as they are passed through said guide frame.

6. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, the charging end of the frame being located above the coating material and the discharge end of the frame being directed upward and terminating adjacent to the surface of the coating material whereby the articles will be passed through the frame and discharged therefrom by gravity, and spaced guide bars for engaging said projections for rotating the articles as they are passed through said guideiframea 7. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a flux box on said coating material, a perforate guide frame extending through'the flux box and the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, and means for rotating said articles as they are passed through said flux and coating material.

' 8.' Apparatus for coating metal articles includinga tank of coating material, a flux box on said coating material, a perforate guide frame extending through the flux 'box and the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, the charging end of the frame being located above the flux box, and the discharge end of the frame being directed upward and terminating adjacent to the surface of the coating material whereby the articles will be passed through the flux box and coating material and discharged therefrom by gravity, and means for rotating the articles as they are passed through the coating material.

9. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a flux box above said coating material, a perforate guide frame extending through the flux box and the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, and spaced guide bars for engaging said projections for rotating the articles as they are passed through the coating material.

10. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a flux box above said coating material, a perforate guide frame extending through the flux box and the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, the discharge end of said guide frame being directed upward, and spaced guide bars for engaging said projections for rotating the articles as they are passed through the coating material.

11. Apparatus for coating metal articles including a tank of coating material, a flux box above said coating material, a perforate guide frame extending through the flux box and the coating material, articles adapted to pass through the guide frame for coating the articles and having projections thereon, the charging end of the frame being located above the flux box, and the discharge end of the frame being directed upward and terminating adjacent to the sureluding a tank of coating material, a flux box above said coating material, and a perforate guide frame extending through the flux box and the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, the charging end portion of the frame being inclined at an angle to the normal plane of the frame in order to tilt the articles backward and wash the flux therefrom before they enter the coating material.

13. Apparatus for coating metal articles having projections thereon including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material and adapted to have articles passed therethrough for coating said articles the projections on the articles cooperatively engaging the guide frame for rotating the articles a full half turn as they are passed through 100 said guide frame.

14. Apparatus for coating metal articles having projections thereon including a tank of coating material, a perforate guide frame extending into the coating material and adapted to have 105 articles passed therethrough for coating said articles, the discharge end of said guide frame being directed upward, the projections on the articles cooperatively engaging the guide frame for rotating the articles a full half turn as they are passed through said guide frame.

MARTIN L. HUNKER. JOHN M. MILLER. 

